Author
Topic: The Polk Theatre, 1938-2008 (Read 13267 times)

Curious if anyone out there knows anything about what's happening with the Polk Theater on 93rd St. and 37th ave.

I know it was built in the late 30's, and served the neighborhood for quite a long time as a regular movie theater. At some point it transitioned over to Adult Films and sank in to ill-repute and disrepair (as many porn theaters do). Somewhere in Mid 2006, the building was bought by developers and has since been closed to the public (perhaps for the better)

A series of stores adjacent to The Polk have also been closed for a significant amount of time.

It seems as if the developers are planning on waiting out all the remaining commercial tenants and may proceed with demolishing the property entirely.

I ventured in to the Polk once while it was still open and discovered that under the layers of grime and smut there was a beautiful old 30s style theater with a large auditorium. It seems to me that Jackson Heights could benefit from a visible arts space that supports local arts groups and community functions.

Much like the Eagle (or Earle) theatre was transformed in to a unique Bollywood Gem for the neighborhood, wouldn't it be great to have another space that brings the arts and culture closer to our community?

Anyway, I was jsut curious to see if any one out there knew anything about what's happening on that block ?

-

Andrew

Logged

"It is widely recognized that the courageous spirit of asingle man can inspire to victory an army ofthousands. If one concerned with ordinary gain cancreate such an effect, how much more will be produced by one who cares for greater things ?" -Chunag Tse

I checked on the Department of Buildings database to see if I could figure out what's going to be built here. I'm not sure I know how to interpret the documents, but they seem to indicate this will be a 6-story building, with ground floor retail, medical offices on the second floor, and four floors of residences (with a total of 32 units). It will also include a two-level underground parking garage with space for 83 cars. The initial application was rejected, but only because the filing fee was for an improper amount.

Unfortunately, I could not find any pictures of what this building will look like.

It's too late for the 19th-century parsonage at St. Saviour's Episcopal Church â€” it was leveled in December â€” and Long Island City's Hackett Building, a structure built in 1884, was torn down last year for condos. Before any more of Queens' history disappears, a group of activists and preservationists is organizing to save what's left. The Queens Civic Congress, an umbrella organization of more than 100 civic groups, will host a workshop at 7:30 tonight at TheShops at Atlas Park in Glendale to build interest in landmarking in a borough where protected sites number less than 20 percent of Manhattan's. "We need to get the landmarks commission to pay the same attention to Queens that they pay elsewhere," said Corey Bearak, president of the organization. "We have a history that goes way back, and we have places that merit protection before the wrecking ball comes."

I actually looked in to what it would take to landmark that theatre after I learned that it had been sold. The problem there is you need owner consent to landmark a building. I don't think the developers would have agreed to that as it would have gotten in the way of their plans.

Even if The Polk was landmarked it would then have to be repaired, and it this day and age I imagine would have takena several million dollar capital campaign to restore it to a safe and useable condition.

"It is widely recognized that the courageous spirit of asingle man can inspire to victory an army ofthousands. If one concerned with ordinary gain cancreate such an effect, how much more will be produced by one who cares for greater things ?" -Chunag Tse